


Sweet As Sugar

by neonntiger



Category: House of Cards (US TV)
Genre: F/M, Peaches - Freeform, Young and In Love, gaffney peach festival, pre-corruption, shmoozing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-23
Updated: 2016-03-23
Packaged: 2018-05-28 12:01:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6328036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neonntiger/pseuds/neonntiger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Frank and Claire Underwood attend a Gaffney Peach Festival early in their relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sweet As Sugar

“I tell you, these peaches are the sweetest peaches you’ll ever eat in your entire life,” Frank announced to a small crowd of admirers around him, holding up a fresh slice of one before shoving it in his mouth all in one bite. 

He chewed contently, swallowing with the same pride the farmer who grew the peach had watching his State Representative chow down. 

“Claire, try yourself a piece,” he purred, plucking up another slice from a wooden cutting board and holding it to her mouth.  
“Francis,” she simpered, shying away from the wedge of peach.   
“Ooooh, come on,” Frank crooned now, voice lowering a cadence.   
Claire swung their laced fingers between them before turning to face him, accepting a bite of the peach slice.   
“How’s that?”  
“Like sugar,” she said after swallowing.  
“What’d I tell you?” Frank grinned, popping the rest of the slice into his mouth. “Like sugar!”

Frank regaled his small crowd of fellow Gaffney residents and peach farmers with praises and jokes between devouring peach after peach, half out of hunger, half to show off his voracious appetite. Even Claire, who stood by Frank’s side quietly with her bright eyes fixed on his animated face as he spoke, helped herself to a few slices of fresh peach. 

It wasn’t until the sun began to set and the band began to play that their little crowd dispersed. Frank and Claire strolled around the periphery of the farm grounds, Frank letting go of her hand to wrap his arm around her shoulders and pull her in close to him.

“You were good today,” she told him confidently. “They love you. They adore you.”  
“You think?” Frank looked at her hopefully.  
“They believe in you. They’ll follow you through hell, Francis.”  
“Hmm,” he grinned, raking his nails in small circles against Claire’s bare shoulder.

Claire shivered at the touch, shuddering audibly. They stopped walking and Frank shed his linen jacket, draping it over her shoulders and raising the collar around her neck.

“How’s that?”  
“Better.”

Claire relished in the warmth of Frank’s body radiating from the fabric of his jacket. Even the smell of him, sweat and peaches and aftershave. It intoxicated her.

Frank smiled and gave her chin an affectionate pinch, tilting her head up to kiss her on the lips. Claire leaned into him, resting her hands on his waist. Frank kissed her more hungrily and swallowed her slender body with both his arms and dipped her back slightly. 

“Miss Claire Hale Underwood,” he nuzzled her affectionately, her soft laughter muffled when she turned her face to his cheek. “Will you do me the fine honour of dancing with me?”  
“To what?” She laughed. “This bluegrass they’re playing?”   
“We can dance to anything,” he said, cradling one of her hands to his chest when he straightened them out, remaining cheek to cheek with her.   
“We can,” Claire agreed, closing her eyes and swaying with Francis.


End file.
